How to Build a Pueblo for a School Project

Pueblo Indians constructed real pueblos by building the structures with blocks and covering them with mud. For this project, you will be employing a similar concept to make a representation of a pueblo living structure. This project will take about an hour to complete once your materials have been assembled.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet connection (optional)
• 1 poster board (preferably tan or brown)
• Safety scissors
• Ruler
• Clear tape
• 1/2 pound tan modeling clay
• 8 1/2-by-11-inch cardboard sheet
• 1 box pretzel sticks
• Glue

Instructions

Research and Create

1. Obtain a photo of the dwellings of the Pueblo Indians, commonly called pueblos or adobes. You can find a photo in a book from the library or by looking at the reference about Tigua Indians (a Pueblo tribe).

2. Cut twelve squares of the same length and twelve rectangles of equal length from the poster board. The squares should be no more than five inches in length and the rectangles should be no more than seven.

3. Cut small door shapes in two of the squares and two of the rectangles. These will serve as the doors to the pueblos.

4. Tape together six of the squares to make a box. Do the same with six of the rectangles, then tape together the remaining squares to make one more cube and one more rectangular box. Make sure the doors are at the bottom.

5. Cover each box thoroughly with clay. Do not cover the bottom.

Assemble the Pueblo

1. Squeeze glue onto the bottom of one square cube and one of the rectangular boxes. Affix them right next to each other on the 8 1/2-by-11-inch cardboard.

2. Place the two remaining boxes on top of the ones you've glued down.

3. Attach the top boxes to the bottom ones by smoothing clay over the sides, blending it together to make it look like one object.

Create Ladders

1. Open the box of pretzel sticks and remove eight pretzel sticks and carefully brush off as much of the salt as possible. Set four sticks to the side.

2. Break four of the pretzel sticks cleanly in half.

3. Glue the smaller pretzel sticks to two longer ones in to make the ladder. Each ladder should have a long pretzel stick on each side and four between them. Allow ladders to dry.

4. Place ladders against the pueblo structure. A ladder on the lower level may need to be glued to the cardboard. Ladders on the upper level should stick in the clay.

Tips & Warnings

• The pueblo doesn't have to look precise. These dwellings were constructed out of natural materials and shaped much the way you are shaping them with clay.

• Do not consume clay or glue or feed them to pets.

• Young students should not use scissors unattended.

References

• The Tigua Indians of Texas
• Pueblo Indians